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Case Study:

Case Study: STL Truck Center Repair – St. Louis, IL

Quick Results
  • Industry: Truck & Trailer Repair
  • Location: St. Louis, Illinois
  • Budget: $1,100/month
  • First Call Cost: $6.74 from the start
  • Call Volume Growth: From ~70 calls before → 114 calls in July → 204 calls in August
  • Challenge: Low market demand for Reefer Repair campaigns

Before

Location only

70 Calls/mo

After

$6,74 / Call

204 Calls/mo

About the Client

STL Truck Centers LLC is a professional truck and trailer repair shop in St. Louis. They specialize in:

  • Diesel engine diagnostics
  • Semi-truck repair
  • Reefer repair (Thermo King, Carrier Transicold, Freon 404, AC repair)
  • Trailer repair and body shop services
  • DOT inspections, roadside assistance, towing, and tires
  • Truck rentals and after-treatment systems

With expertise across Freightliner, Kenworth, and other heavy-duty brands, STL Truck Center Repair is a trusted partner for both independent truckers and fleet operators.

stl second block

Challenges

  • Reefer repair demand was limited: Initial research showed that local search demand for reefer trailer repair was very low.
  • Client request: The shop specifically wanted to generate Reefer Repair and Mechanical Repair jobs, even though data suggested limited opportunity.
  • Campaign constraints: A dedicated Reefer campaign with phrase and exact match keywords generated only ~2 jobs per week, which was the maximum possible in this market.

Our Strategy & Actions

Website

  • Built a 10-page website with essential services, contact details, and company overview.
  • Migrated from Google Sites to WordPress for improved performance and flexibility.
  • Set up hosting and domain registrar transfer for full ownership and control.
STL - Website Hero
STL - Website Services

PPC Campaigns

  • Launched Search Campaigns across core services (truck repair, trailer repair, body shop, towing, reefer repair, etc.).
  • Tested dedicated Reefer Repair campaigns (phrase + exact match) despite low demand, ensuring we captured all potential queries.
  • Optimized campaigns for broader mechanical services to balance lead flow.
STL Google Ads General
STL Google Ads PPC – Structure

Tracking & Scaling

  • Implemented proper call tracking.
  • Identified channel performance: reefer campaigns delivered low volume, while mechanical/truck repair campaigns drove the bulk of results.
  • Scaled spend towards profitable service lines that generated consistent call flow.
stl-1
STL - Calls Google Location

Results in Detail

  • Call Cost: $6.74 from the very start — one of the lowest acquisition costs achieved across all campaigns.
  • Call Volume:
    • Before campaigns: ~70 calls
    • July: 114 calls
    • August: 204 calls from Google Ads alone
  • Reefer Repair Campaign: Only ~2 repair jobs per week despite dedicated targeting.
  • Overall ROI: Budget of $1,100 produced 362 calls, making this one of the most cost-efficient campaigns.

Key Takeaways

  1. Niche demand has limits: Reefer trailer repair demand in St. Louis is very low, and even the best campaigns cannot expand a market that isn’t there.
  2. Data-driven scaling works: By identifying low-demand services early, budget was redirected toward higher-demand services like general truck and trailer repair, delivering better results.
  3. Low-cost lead generation is possible: With a $6.74 cost per call, STL Truck Center achieved one of the best cost efficiencies in our portfolio.
  4. Flexibility is key: Testing the Reefer niche validated assumptions, while keeping broader campaigns running ensured strong overall call volume and ROI.
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